Photo provided by the Sitaro Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) shows volcanic materials and smoke spewing from Mount Ruang as seen from Sitaro regency in North Sulawesi, Indonesia, April 17, 2024. (Photo by BPBD Sitaro/Handout via Xinhua)
JAKARTA, April 19 (Xinhua) — Sam Ratulangi Airport in Indonesia’s North Sulawesi was temporarily closed on Thursday following the eruption of Ruang Volcano that forced hundreds of people to flee.
“This closure affected 33 flights and 3,182 passengers,” said AirNav Indonesia’s operations director Riza Fahmi.
Authorities are closely monitoring current conditions to ensure the safety of flights, Fahmi added.
The Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) said the hazardous level of Mount Ruang has increased to the highest category since Wednesday night due to the continued increase in its volcanic activity.
With rumblings and tremors, the volcano erupted again at 9:15 p.m. local time on Wednesday, throwing gray ash up to 3,000 meters above its summit.
As rains of ash mixed with rocks and gravel reached homes, more than 800 residents were forced to flee. Authorities deployed boats and ships to evacuate people from the mountainous island.
The emergency response status has been set at least until April 29, 2024.
The PVMBG warns that people should wear masks, avoid moving within a 6km radius of the mountain’s crater and be careful of tsunami waves due to the risk of the volcano’s body crashing into the sea.■
